Claims that the military mistreated and unlawfully detained POS operator Nansak Selbar on the orders of Major General Nansak Shagaya have been denied by the Nigerian Army.
It was learnt that on November 7, 2024, Selbar, a school teacher, was arrested at his place of employment at Nyak Government Secondary School, Ajikamai in the Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Since then, he has reportedly been refused access to legal counsel and has not been allowed to appear in any court with the authority to hear the case.
In a statement released on Saturday, January 4, 2025, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 3 Division Nigerian Army, denied rumours that the Army and Shagaya face a N100 million fine for allegedly unlawfully holding Selbar.
Such narratives are incorrect, disgusting, and deceptive, according to the statement, which also stated that the public should completely dismiss them.
The statement claims that Selbar was detained for aiding abduction operations by accepting ransom money on behalf of abductors and procuring military gear, outfits, and accessories for bandits and other criminals.
Additionally, Selbar was charged with deceiving the public by pretending to enlist them for the Nigerian Army.
“A social media article claiming that the Nigerian Army and Major General Nansak Shagaya risk 100 million naira for illegally detaining POS operator Nansak Selbar, who is currently near death due to poor health, has caught the attention of 3 Division Nigerian Army,” the statement said.
“The disgusting article, which was allegedly written by someone named Alex Giwa on January 3, 2025, made a number of false allegations, such as the alleged POS operator Nansak Selbar’s severe sickness and unlawful incarceration.
The story is allegedly being spread by nefarious individuals in an attempt to mislead the public and incite hostility towards security authorities.
It is convenient to state unequivocally that the narratives presented in the article are untrue and that the public should dismiss them completely.
To correct the record, Mr. Nansak Selbar was detained for accepting ransom money on behalf of kidnappers in order to facilitate abduction activities.
It was discovered over the course of the inquiry that the suspect was also engaged in other vices that were detrimental to national security, such as obtaining military gear, uniforms, and accessories for bandits and other criminal groups.
Additionally, dishonest people were tricked into joining the Nigerian Army under false pretences.
Because he was suspected of being involved in terrorist activities, we used the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act (TPPA) 2022 and filed a Motion Ex-Parte in a competent court to obtain an order allowing the military to hold him while they conducted the investigation.
The military would then turn him over to the appropriate agency for additional action.
The suspect’s attorney, who should have been aware of the TPPA 2022, opted to disparage the process of obtaining an Experte Motion, blatantly to incite public disapproval of established institutions. This is pretty unsettling.
“The claim that the suspect is being held on Major General Nansak Shagaya’s orders is the furthest thing from the truth.
It is crucial to note that the suspect is being held in accordance with current legislation for investigations into actions that pose a threat to national security, not unlawfully.
Therefore, it is alarming that the repulsive story is being spread by nefarious individuals in an attempt to incite public outrage and garner sympathy for security agencies.
Therefore, we caution crisis merchants and dishonest individuals to refrain from spreading untrue information about security organisations that are diligently trying to purge our society of criminal elements.
“We called on media professionals to take their duties seriously, particularly bloggers.
They have the ability to influence narratives in the rapidly evolving digital world.
But enormous power also comes with immense responsibility. They are urged to confirm the facts with both sides before sharing information or posting tales.
“The spread of false and deceptive information can have disastrous effects, causing disenchantment, perplexity, fear, and additional rifts between the public and security services.
“The 3 Division Nigerian Army is dedicated to protecting people and property within our Area of Responsibility, and we would want to reassure the public of this.
“In order to effectively combat criminal elements in our society, we encourage the community to continue supporting our efforts by providing timely intelligence.”